07 Nov - 13 Nov 2025
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India’s 2026 BRICS Presidency: Building Resilient and Equitable Health Systems
Dr Monika Kochar, Advisor (Health), DAKSHIN-GSCE
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As India prepares to take on the BRICS presidency in 2026, health cooperation has become a central theme for the ten member nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia. Together, these countries represent almost half of the world’s population and a growing share of the global economy. The upcoming summit offers an opportunity to turn common challenges such as pandemics, inequality, and weak supply chains into collective progress for the Global South.
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Key Developments in the Global South |
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India and Angola Ink MoUs
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President Smt. Droupadi Murmu concluded a successful visit to Angola. On her last day in Luanda, she attended the celebration of the 50th Independence Day anniversary of Angola. This was the first visit by an Indian Head of State to the West African Nation. Angola has agreed to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA); both these initiatives are spearheaded by India. |
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India and Botswana Seek to Harness New Opportunities |
President Smt. Droupadi Murmu held delegation-level talks with her Botswana counterpart, President Duma Boko, at the President’s Office in Gaborone. The President was received by President Duma Boko and was accorded a ceremonial welcome, including a 21-gun salute and Guard of Honour. This marked the first-ever state visit by an Indian Head of State to Botswana. During the visit, President Murmu addressed the Parliament of Botswana, met members of the Indian community, and visited sites of historical and cultural significance. The visit formed the first leg of the tour, undertaken at the invitation of Angolan President João Lourenco. The visit reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening partnerships across Africa and the Global South. |
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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed a large gathering at the Changlimethang Celebration Ground in Thimphu, highlighting the centuries-old spiritual, cultural, and developmental partnership between India and Bhutan. Extending greetings to King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, PM Modi said that the day was significant not only for Bhutan but also for all who believe in world peace. Underlining the shared spiritual heritage between the two nations, PM Modi said India draws inspiration from the ancient ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family – and continues to pray for universal happiness through the mantra Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah. The event marked the Global Peace Prayer Festival and the 70th birth anniversary of the Fourth King, alongside the exposition of the Sacred Piprahwa Relics of Lord Buddha from India. |
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Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, met with his Indian counterpart, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Minister of Health, Chemicals, and Fertilizers, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the healthcare sector, particularly in exchanging expertise in the pharmaceutical industry and exploring joint investment opportunities between the two countries. The meeting was held on the sidelines of preparations for the third International Conference on Population, Health, and Development (ICPD) 2025. The meeting explored opportunities to encourage healthcare investment through strategic agreements. |
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Shri Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, concluded visits to three countries - Ecuador, Bolivia and Cuba from 4 to 10 November 2025. The visits were undertaken to reach out to stakeholders in these countries to strengthen bilateral relations, including by inauguration of new Indian Embassies in Ecuador and Bolivia. In all three countries, MoS Margherita discussed the matters of strengthening bilateral relations, including in health and pharma, Ayurveda and Yoga, digital technologies such as DPI and UPI, AI & innovation, promoting trade, including in critical minerals, textiles and tourism and organising Indian films, fashion and food festivals to promote people-to-people contacts. |
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Delivering India's National Statement at the Leaders’ Summit of the CoP30, Ambassador of India to Brazil Shri Dinesh Bhatia reiterated the country’s consistent commitment to climate action based on equity, national circumstances and the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC). The 30th Conference of Parties (CoP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place in Belém, Brazil. India thanked Brazil for hosting CoP30 on the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and recalled the 33-year legacy of the Rio Summit. India's statement noted that this is an opportunity to reflect on the global response to the challenge of global warming. |
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India dispatched a consignment of around 2.7 tonnes of life-saving vaccines to Venezuela. The humanitarian assistance is part of India's ongoing efforts to support developing nations through health partnerships and South-South cooperation. The vaccines will help strengthen Venezuela's public health system and benefit thousands of people in need. India and Venezuela have shared warm and friendly ties for over six decades. The two countries celebrated the 64th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023. Resident embassies in Caracas and New Delhi have been operational for over four decades, reflecting the depth of the bilateral relationship. |
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United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, praised India’s growing influence on the global stage, commending its pivotal role in geopolitics, development, and peacekeeping. He highlighted India’s commitment to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family, describing it as essential in addressing today’s global challenges. Sharp made these remarks on the sidelines of the National Summit on Accessibility in New Delhi. He noted that India is a country that not only lands on the moon but is also developing innovative ways to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, efforts that are highly relevant to the developing nations of the Global South. |
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The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), hosted an Ambassadors’ Reception in New Delhi as a precursor to the 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine scheduled for 17–19 December 2025 in New Delhi. The high-level gathering briefed ambassadors, high commissioners, and diplomatic representatives on the summit vision, global health relevance, and opportunities for multilateral cooperation in advancing evidence-based traditional medicine. The reception was graced by Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (IC), Ministry of Ayush and Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, followed by the presence of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, and Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs.
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The United Nations University on E-Governance, UNU-EGOV, has said it will continue to support the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, ICEGOV, in advancing digital transformation in Africa. Ms Delfina Soares, Director of UNU-EGOV, made the statement at the closing ceremony of the 18th edition of ICEGOV, organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, in Abuja. |
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Sri Lanka has set plans to launch the first digital ID by the third quarter of next year, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated. Despite some concerns from certain groups, the President, at the budget reading in parliament in Colombo, reassured the public that their personal information will be kept safe and secure. “This is a move that promises to revolutionise access to public services while ensuring strong data privacy and citizen protection,” he told parliament. Highlighting several important steps underway to foster a vibrant digital economy in Sri Lanka, he said that initiatives like the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI), a national data exchange, the enhancement of the Lanka Government Cloud infrastructure, and the development of specialised software for a streamlined digital interface are all part of this effort to improve government services. |
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A three-day continental meeting hosted at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters closed with a strong call to translate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategies into country-level action, as African Union (AU) organs and Member States move to finalise a strengthened Framework 2.0 to guide implementation from 2026 to 2030. Dr Merawi Aragaw, Head of the Division for Surveillance and Disease Intelligence at Africa CDC, commended progress achieved under the first AU AMR Framework but underscored persistent gaps in financing and implementation. |
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Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, discussed with ambassadors of Latin American, Central American, and Caribbean countries accredited to Cairo, strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, especially economic cooperation. He reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to building strong relations with various regional and global partners and emphasised Egypt’s pride in its historic, cultural, and humanitarian bonds with countries of the Global South — including Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean. He called for intensifying high-level visits, activating existing political consultation mechanisms, and exploring new frameworks for economic and investment cooperation that reflect the potential and depth of relations between Egypt and Latin America. |
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The IGAD Secretariat successfully convened a meeting in Machakos, Kenya, to launch the Community of Practice (CoP) on Climate and Health under the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Program (HEPRRP) for Eastern and Southern Africa. The initiative underscores the region’s growing commitment to strengthening climate–health resilience. The three-day meeting, held from 3rd to 5th November 2025, brought together representatives from HEPRRP participating countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and São Tomé & Príncipe. Participants represented Ministries in charge of Health, Environment, and Climate, alongside experts from regional and international organisations such as Africa CDC, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC). |
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Deeper regional collaboration for developing climate-smart technologies, advancing low-carbon rice production, managing pests and diseases, and continuing capacity building efforts were at the forefront of the 29th Council of Partnership on Rice Research in Asia (CORRA) Annual Meeting, held recently in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Rice Research Institute (RRI), Uzbekistan, in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), this year’s meeting marked Uzbekistan’s first time hosting CORRA—an important milestone as one of the council’s newest member countries.
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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has pledged to adopt global best practices to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation and strengthen its governance framework. The commitment was disclosed by Lukman Lamid, Special Assistant to the NITDA Director General on Innovation and Research, at the closing ceremony of the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2025) in Abuja. According to Lamid, the agency plans to leverage outcomes from the conference to enhance existing policy frameworks, expand broadband infrastructure, and strengthen digital public infrastructure. |
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Kenya has taken a bold step in its digital transformation journey with the official establishment of the Kenya National Open-Source Programme Office (OSPO), announced at the Global Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit in Cape Town. The initiative was developed under the Open-Source Ecosystem Enablement (OSEE) Project, in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and supported by the Government of Germany through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The creation of the OSPO marks Kenya as one of the first countries globally—and the first in Africa—to set up a national open-source office in partnership with the ITU. |
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Singapore and Thailand have signed pacts to expand the sale of rice to the Republic, and to deepen cooperation in healthcare capabilities to meet the needs of their ageing societies. The two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed on November 7 during Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s first official visit to Singapore since taking office in September 2025. This is also Mr Anutin’s first official overseas visit as prime minister. The agreements are the latest in a raft of deals that the two close neighbours have made in 2025, which is the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations. At a joint press conference after the signing of the MOUs, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted that the two countries had, over 60 years, forged deep ties built on trust, respect and friendship.
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Guinea and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) signed a new Country Programming Framework (CPF) for 2024-2028. The CPF is a strategic document that sets the priorities for cooperation between the FAO and Guinea and serves as a roadmap for technical, financial, and institutional interventions in agriculture, food systems, forestry and fisheries. Valued at $34.7 million, the five-year framework focuses on strengthening institutional and governance capacity, improving agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries production, and promoting resilience and social protection in rural areas. Guinea’s agricultural potential remains largely untapped. Official data show the country has about 6.2 million hectares of arable land, of which only half is cultivated each year. |
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Vietnam has a strong demand for soybeans, corn, cotton, and iron ore to support feed production, textiles, and metallurgy, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi during a recent meeting with Mauricio Buffon, President of the Brazilian Association of Soybean Producers (Aprosoja), in Brasilia. The meeting aimed to strengthen agricultural, industrial, and trade cooperation between the two countries. The diplomat highlighted Brazil’s role in ensuring stable and strategic agricultural supplies for Vietnam. Noting the high complementarity of the two economies, he said Vietnam is a dynamic production and processing hub in Asia with strengths in electronics, textiles, footwear, aquatic products, and processed agricultural products. |
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The meeting brought together His Excellency Dr. Saud bin Hamoud Al Habsi, Oman’s Minister of Agriculture, Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources, and His Excellency Yassine El Mahdi Oualid, Algeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries. Discussions centered on expanding joint efforts in desert agriculture, marine fishing, value-added industries, and investments across the agricultural and fisheries sectors. This initiative underscores their commitment to strengthening economic ties and technological exchange. Both ministers emphasised the importance of knowledge exchange and partnership in research, technology, and sustainable resource management. They also explored collaboration in developing modern agricultural technologies, promoting investment in food value chains, and enhancing training and technical information exchange between the two nations’ institutions. |
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Algeria sought to strengthen international cooperation in the digital sector on the sidelines of the Global Digital Public Infrastructure Summit, held in Cape Town, South Africa. Minister of Post and Telecommunications Sid Ali Zerrouki held a series of bilateral meetings with several counterparts, international organisations, and major technology stakeholders. Zerrouki signed a letter of intent with his South African counterpart, Solly Malatsi, to deepen bilateral cooperation and ensure regular follow-up on joint projects. |
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DAKSHIN - Global South Centre of Excellence at RIS, in partnership with the UNDP in India, convened a Roundtable on Advancing South-South Cooperation for a Sustainable Future at the UN House, New Delhi, on 11 November 2025. The discussion brought together representatives from the Government of India, India-led Global Organisations, development partners, and bilateral partner countries. Deliberations reflected on India’s evolving role as a knowledge and innovation hub for the Global South. |
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